Depthless Hunger

Kai's time with the Savage Creed followers had been frustrating in multiple senses.

There had been a part of him that had hoped he would show up, learn a few tricks about the Savage Heart, and instantly gain access to a full transformation. Instead, though everyone was impressed by how much he'd grown, it apparently just took a lot of time and practice.

And tapping into his savage desires, of course. Kai still sided with Gorutiel against the Savage Creed: he was a monster, not a beast, and he wouldn't succeed by following the same path. But he couldn't say that, so the challenges continued.

Now that he had a stronger understanding of what Zae Zin Nim called dual cultivation, Kai saw Tyorcut's actions for what they were: less seduction than strategic pressure. Her Savage Yoni ability was sex-based, so presumably she was open to having sex with people for power and wanted him on some level. But there was absolutely nothing more than lust, and he wasn't sure that was stronger than her desire to gain power from him.

Every day she gave him a new chakra drink, which flowed into his spirit and increased the "lingam" energy he carried, which also meant his sex drive. In theory he could absorb it and strengthen himself a little, as he'd done the last time, but that was never the goal. Instead she wanted him to fail so that she could harvest all of it for herself.

Now that he was a married man he wasn't tempted in the same way... but he was still a man. Being determined not to do something did not make him immune, so he struggled to maintain physical control and resist the impulses. If she hadn't also been advising him on the Savage Heart, he'd have been tempted to abandon her challenge and leave.

Currently he sat in a gully wearing nothing but pants. Actually, it was the Beggar King's Rags, but since Tyorcut had insisted he wear little, he had made them shrink. He was surrounded by bowls of incense that formed a haze around him that made it hard to think.

"Your self-control is impressive, but why resist?" Tyorcut prowled behind him, occasionally brushing against his back so he could feel her heat. "Are you one of those fools afraid of losing your essence? Don't be, you know your strength. Go on, take what you want."

Fuck, he wanted Zae Zin Nim. Kai wanted to think back to their time at the Kama Altar, but in his current state that might make him lose control altogether.